The 2013 model is expected to have a 25 percent boost, putting its U.S. EPA rating in the 90 mile range

New versions of Nissan's all-electric Leaf are expected to be a bit different with the 2013 model year.

According to High Gear Media, the 2013 Nissan Leaf will not only have new features like a 6.6 kilowatt charger and leather seats, but also a model with longer range and another with a smaller battery pack (which will be cheaper).

The Nissan Leaf is currently rated a 73 mile range by the EPA. This, of course, depends on factors like speed, the use of air conditioing/heat and the temperature outside. But the latest news report mentions that the 2013 model with a longer range will have a 25 percent improvement, putting the Leaf's U.S. EPA rating in the 90 mile range.

That kind of boost would put the Leaf ahead of EVs like the Ford Focus Electric, which has an EPA rating of 76 miles, and the Coda Sedan, which has an EPA rating of 88 miles.

The cheaper 2013 Leaf may only be released in Japan, but that hasn't been confirmed yet. The price of that model is unclear as well.

In addition to range, price and battery size changes, the 2013 Leaf models are expected to have design changes as well.

Nissan wasn't supposed to make many of these changes for at least another year, but with sales in the U.S. sitting at unimpressive numbers, Nissan recognizes that it's going to have to spruce the EV up in order to justify production at its Tennessee factory.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Nissan expected to sell 20,000 EVs in the U.S. during 2012, but has only sold 3,543 so far. Only 395 Leafs were sold alone in the month of July, which was a 58 percent drop compared to sales in July 2011.

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